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CWU Hires New Dining Services Director

When fall quarter classes get underway next month at CWU, hungry students know they will have access to a wide range of tasty dining options throughout campus. What they may not know is that someone different is now in charge of making sure that remains the case.

Dean Masuccio, CWU's new director of Dining Services, will start on September 17, just two days ahead of the beginning of the 2018-19 university academic year.

“When I learned about the position and the future vision for Central's dining program it really intrigued me,” he offered as a reason he applied. “It's a great chance to use what I've learned over my career, while contributing to new developments and operations, and having similar opportunities there.”

Masuccio has more than 25 years of hospitality-industry experience, 18 of them working within Housing and Food Services at the University of Washington. During his tenure in Seattle, he has held a variety of leadership positions, most recently as the Business Operations administrator for UW Dining where, for the past four years, he has managed a variety of aspects of an operation that handles in excess of 30,000 daily transactions.

While new to CWU, Masuccio is familiar with Ellensburg, which is his hometown. A 1993 graduate of Ellensburg High School, he actually began his career in hospitality as a dishwasher at a local restaurant.

“The pace of life in Ellensburg and a change in scenery is something I was excited to pursue, for myself, and for my family,” he added, about seeking the CWU position.

In terms of scenery, his journey has already taken him to some of the world's top culinary regions.

“I took about a year-and-a-half, in two separate trips, and spent some time in Italy immersed in the culture, visiting family, traveling, touring, and eating a lot of great food,” he noted.

Masuccio succeeds Dan Layman, who worked within university dining for 36 years, including as the department's senior purchasing manager, senior retail manager, assistant to the director, and director for the last 11 years.

Under Layman's direction, CWU Dining Services began providing more choices in cuisine and hours of operation, and he guided the establishment of the student-centered food court in the Student Union and Recreation Center.